BRITISH DOCK WORKERS

Southland Times, Issue 25669, 11 May 1945, Page 5

BRITISH DOCK WORKERS

3000 TO COME TO AUSTRALIA (Special Australian Correspondent, N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 10 p.m.) SYDNEY, May 10. About 3000 British artisans, who will be classed as naval ratings, are coming to Australia as dockyard workers for the British Pacific Fleet. This is reported today by the political correspondent of The Sun (Sydney), who says that the British workers are being sent to overcome the delays to repairs and maintenance to British ships caused by local industrial troubles. Such hold-ups, the Commander-in-Chief of the British Pacific Fleet, Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser, has revealed, are resulting in ships being sent to the battle areas without receiving proper docking attention in Sydney. Federal Ministers are understood to have warned Sydney waterfront union leaders that if the stoppages continue, the number of British dock workers to come to Australia will be increased from 3000 to 5000.

One of the biggest political gales of the present stormy session of the Federal Parliament is expected over the continued strike of 3000 Sydney dockyard workers which has been caused by a petty, internecine argument within the ironworkers’ union. In the Parliamentary lobbies, Admiral Fraser’s statement is regarded as an unmistakable indication that the British Fleet is not getting the servicing from Australia to which the Government earlier pledged the country. The Commonwealth Director of Shipping. Sir Thomas Gordon, said today that tire delay to ships in Sydney was serious. Some vessels had been held up for weeks awaiting repairs. WORKERS CASTIGATED In Canberra, the acting Prime Minister, Mr J. B. Chifley, indicated that the shipping delays were causing the Government continuous concern. Many trade union officials, as well as Opposition political leaders and the entire Australian Press, today castigate the striking dockyard workers. The Sun (Sydney) in a leading article this afternoon says: “This indicates only too truly the existence, widespread in Australia, of an unhappy mental state which prevents people from putting first things first. Instead, every grievance—and often the grievance is imaginary—is an excuse to strike without waiting to negotiate. Democracy cherishes its freedom and abuses it by striking in defiance of its own laws. What it often forgets is that freedom is a gift from the dead and those yet to die in battle. It forgets that while the war against Japan continues the first duty of everyone of us is to see that the war effort goes on unchecked so that the fighting men shall lack for nothing they may need and that we can supply.”